GamePro Magazine Becoming Quarterly Publication

As opposed to releasing monthly, of course…

GamePro Magazine, one of the oldest gaming publications still running in print, is drastically changing its release schedule. The first issue sold in April of 1989, and now the IDG owned rag (not an insult, promise) has elected to adapt in light of the current physical print landscape and move towards a quarterly release schedule.

IndustryGamers has it that the first, quarterly issue of GamePro will release on November 8th of this year. That makes it the Winter 2011 edition. The issues will be 15% bigger in physical size, and it will be more than 50 pages longer than it usually is. The issues will sell for $9.99.

Marci Yamaguchi Hughes, President of GamePro Magazine, offered this:

"We all know the print landscape has changed over the last several years and gamers in particular are reading print in a very different way…We’re proud of the passionate community and loyal audience we’ve built on GamePro.com who seek the latest news and information. With our move to a quarterly publication, enthusiasts will have a go-to resource for the best games to purchase during the heaviest buying periods of the year."

GamePro Vice President of Content Julian Rignall added that the staff has been obsessing and fussing over this decision for a while. They feel that they've made the right move and, according to Rignall, they "couldn't be more excited…"

As it stands, this move may be what the publication needs. GamePro, while still monumentally historic, has become fundamentally irrelevant. That's not a challenge against their staff or talent, both of which are top notch. It is, however, a fact of the industry. This quarterly change and bigger issue bulk may grab readers looking for something with more heft.